Sorority Recruitment: Tips and Tricks - Guest Post by Viviane Nguyen

Pi Beta Phi Bid Day 2013 at Northern Arizona University

I am so happy to share this post with you! Viviane is a friend of mine that I met at leadership camp two years ago. It seems so long ago! Since then, we've kept in touch via social media (her Instagram is darling!) and she has recently begin the process of starting her own blog! Make sure to check back for the link after her blog has launched. During her first year of school at Northern Arizona University, she participated in sorority recruitment and found herself at home in Pi Beta Phi! I asked her if she would like to guest post about recruitment, being that I'm not in a sorority and can't speak with experiences. Here's what she had to say!

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Formal recruitment can often be described as a mix of emotions, but it will be one of the best weeks of your life! You will meet so many people, get a glimpse of what it's like in each house and most importantly find your home away from home! For those of you who are going through recruitment this year, I decided to share a few tips from my experience!

1. Take care of yourself // Recruitment is physically demanding. Between a weeks worth of endless walking, standing for long periods of times and continuous talking, you will be exhausted. During your breaks, make sure to drink water and eat snacks if you become hungry. It's important to stay hydrated and healthy, nothing is worse than passing out!
2. Go through recruitment with an open mind // Your best friend may be in love with a sorority at her school, but it doesn't mean that you will fall in love with the same one at yours. All houses are different on each campus! Throughout recruitment you will hear other girls comment on who they loved and didn't, but just because their least favorite is YOUR favorite doesn't mean anything!
3. Be you // When choosing a house, you are ultimately choosing your home away from home. Remember that recruitment is a mutual selection process. Being yourself will allow you to meet people who enjoy being around the real you! Don't force a conversation if you feel like they aren't flowing. It's okay not to connect with everyone!
4. Expect to meet a lot of people // Get to know the girls around you, especially those in your Rho Chi group! You may potentially find some of your closest friends through this. Some of them may even end up in the same house as you! I met many of my closest friends on campus through my Rho Chi group and I still keep in touch with them weekly!
5. Take notes when you can // At my school we only have seven houses (which seemed hard enough), but I know that many campuses have larger amounts that range from 15-20! Although you may be attending parties back to back, make sure to take notes in between your breaks! You will want them to jog your memory when ranking houses later that night.
6. Take a moment and look around the room // On the last few nights of recruitment, start shifting your attention to the PNM's around you! Can you imagine yourself being friends with them? They will be the ones you'll be spending the next four years with!
7. You end up where you truly belong // The moment when you open up your bid card can either be exciting or heartbreaking. No matter what house you received a bid from, stick it out for a bit! Get to know your pledge class, the older girls and attend chapter events. I promise you will end up falling in love with your new home!

Heres to formal recruitment!

You can find Viviane on Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram!